Mercy Me
by Lunatic Wisdom
Summary: Violet Hargreeves was the latest addition to The Umbrella Academy as Number 8, The Whipwire, to pay off her mother's debt. A decade later, the untimely death of their father reunites the estranged siblings, bringing with them the unresolved issues from their childhood as they face not only time-traveling assassins but an impending apocalypse. Klaus/OC/Diego
1. Chapter 1: Violet

_**Mercy Me**_

**Chapter 1: **Violet

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_"Wildly my Mind beats against you, but my soul obeys"_

_\- "Wandering Child" by Andrew Lloyd Webber_

* * *

She opened her eyes, welcoming the darkness surrounding her. The only other sound, aside from her shallow breaths, was her heartbeat thundering in her ears. Her breathing hitched as the sound of a lone violin chased away the eerie silence. An entire string section followed as the main violin continued with the haunting melody of _The Phantom of the Opera_. Spotlights slowly focused on her silhouette as the scenery around her brightened. She was on a stage with thousands of eyes were upon her, her feet posing elegantly in the fourth position, her heels lined up directly in front of the other, and with one arm raised slightly over her head and the other out to the side, as she prepared herself for the final performance for that evening's ballet show.

She was Violet Hargreeves and this was her moment.

As the rest of the orchestra followed, Violet ascended into a releve, standing straight up on her toes, and began her routine. Dressed in the dazzling, white tutu with thin, long white ribbons fluttering behind her as she leaped, she alone commanded on the stage. This rendition of the story deviated from the original showcasing Violet as Christine Daaé, reliving her life's events before her imminent passing.

The crowd stared in awe as Violet completed every part with relative ease. Months of practice from dawn to dusk, forcing herself to the brink of exhaustion and even abandoning sugar from her diet, were sacrifices for what she loved the most.

At the crescendo of the song, Violet felt the adrenaline coursing through her body. She was panting and her limbs felt like they were weights, but the excitement motivated her to push through.

_One last move! _Violet teetered on her toes, raising her arms elegantly to the ceiling. She looked up, feigning a pained expression, signaling Christine's final minutes, before she stopped right before the back of the stage. She closed her eyes and leaned back, allowing gravity to do its work. She heard the gasps and scattered screams from the audience believing she fell off the stage.

_Got them!_ Violet landed back on an air cushion and took the brief moment to catch her breath. She listened for the first violin to conclude its solo, signaling the end of the performance. At the sound of the final note slowly, the theatre erupted into applause.

The stage crew appeared and helped Violet to her feet. She waddled awkwardly on her pointe shoes as she was lead around the makeshift drop and to the center of the stage. Violet gave her signature dimpled smile and graciously bowed down as the spotlights found her. Her fellow dancers followed in suit and linked their arms, forming a chair down the length of the stage. Tears welled up as Violet stifled back sobs. Although there were more shows following this, Violet was always emotional after her last routine. The feeling of all her hard work paying off, the burden of performing at a high caliber and the physical toll it took on her body was worth every last applause.

As soon as the curtain fell, Violet let out a long sigh. The ballet company would have a reprieve of over a month before traveling to another city to resume another month-long performance schedule. The first thing Violet wanted to do on this break was to reward herself with food she was restricted from before resuming her sugar-free diet. Several members of both the cast and crew congratulated her as she left the stage, Violet gave them warm smiles and thanked each of them in turn, while en route to her dressing room. She was fortunate that because she was one of the main roles, she was granted her own personal space.

"Violet!" A distinct voice called. She paused momentarily, craning her head to the side. _Is that? There's no way _she's _here._ Despite the incessant chatter around her, Violet recognized that voice. Her hands tightened and her face began to burn with anger.

There was no mistaking it, that voice belonged to Vanya Hargreeves, her sister.

She resumed walking, hoping Vanya would lose sight of her in the throng of people. "Violet. Please wait!" Violet picked up the pace. It had been almost a decade since they had last seen each other or even spoken personally, but Violet was in no mood for reconciliation or a conversation of any kind. Betrayal was still a betrayal, even if Vanya was family.

Vanya's petite figure sidestepped beside, slightly blocking Violet's path. "What do you want Vanya? Why are you even here?" She had to keep moving. If she stopped to entertain her sister, there was no telling what might happen, especially since she could already feel a sting from her fingertips. The faster she got away from her sister, the safer everyone would be.

Vanya looked downcast, unsure of what to say and Violet used the silence to fully examine her sister. Vanya had grown, possibly several inches or so since the last time she had seen her. Her once long, brown hair was cut just below her shoulders and parted in the middle; instead of the blunt bangs she was remembered for. She was dressed formally in black and white for performance.

Vanya continued to fidget with her fingers. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your performance. Our string section was asked to perform for the shows here in Hamilton, that's why I'm here. I didn't even know our companies would be working together for this and I have been wanting to talk to you for-"

Violet let out an exasperated huff, startling Vanya. She pushed her way past, as Vanya followed her like a lost puppy. "Leave now Vanya," Violet hissed, "I am in no mood for your silly little games."

"Please. Let me explain-"

Violet whirled around, her eyes wide with fury. "No, let me." She slammed her left palm on the wall beside them, blocking Vanya's path. "You _ruined_ our family with your stupid autobiography. Did you not think about the consequences of your little ploy? How it would affect _our_ lives?"

Vanya was silent, a guilty look plastered on her face as Violet continued on with her berate, leaning in closer until they were face to face. "How do you think I felt when the press hounded me for weeks after its publication? Asking me about my relationship instead of my career? The vulgar questions I was forced to hear as they quoted several sections of your book?" She scoffed, "My _'midnight escapades' _they called it. I was humiliated, you almost ruined my career, nearly cost me this opportunity!" Sparks appeared from her fingertips and her eyes began to glow a violet hue.

Vanya looked up and met Violet's infuriated gaze. "But was I wrong?"

Violet gritted her teeth. "How dare you!" She slammed a fist on the wall, emitting a surge of electricity. "You had no right!"

"Is everything alright here?" Asked a stagehand, Violet blinked, looking behind Vanya. A small crowd had started to form, heads bobbing around as they tried to figure out what the commotion was about.

She cleared her throat and her eyes returned to her normal shade of brown. "Everything is fine. Just a slight misunderstanding with one of the help." She put on a mask of pure poise to divert the crowd's attention, but underneath it, Violet was fuming. _This is exactly what I was trying to prevent!_

"Miss Hargreeves?" called Violet's director, Solomon Flanagan as he approached the two young women.

Violet turned to look at Solomon and smiled, thankful for the momentary distraction. "Yes?" Answered Vanya. Violet turned to look in disbelief as her sister was beginning to recede, realizing she answered purely on instinct.

"Miss _Violet_ Hargreeves," Solomon corrected, pointing to Violet and motioning her to follow him. "I just need a moment of your time," He moved aside and with an open hand, gestured to her dressing room. "If you may please, follow me."

Violet glanced over to Vanya before pushing past her again. "I have nothing else to say to you. Run along now, Vanya it's the only thing you've been best at." She muttered, making sure it was loud enough for only Vanya to hear. She followed Solomon down the corridor, leaving Vanya behind to pick up the pieces of yet another broken relationship.

Neither Violet nor Solomon said a word until they approached the door of Violet's dressing room. Solomon entered first, holding open the door as Violet stomped in. "Might I inquire about the young woman you were talking to?" He raised his eyebrows when she slammed the door behind her in response.

"No one special." Violet made her way to her vanity mirror and plopped down on her chair, sliding down in it as the adrenaline rush from the unwanted encounter began to leave her. She swiveled her chair around to face Solomon and crossed her arms. "What is it that you wanted to speak to me about? It must be important if you didn't want to talk in the open."

Solomon opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it, pausing for a second and wetting his lips. Violet noticed his eyes darted around and he rubbed his hands together. "Well, during the show, the company was continually bombarded with calls from the news stations regarding the main headline tonight."

Violet raised an eyebrow. "And? What does this have to do with me?"

Solomon remained stone-faced. "I have some unfortunate news." He hesitated for a moment, wondering how he could ease himself into the topic. "When was the last time you spoke to your family? Particularly your father?"

* * *

Violet remained in her dressing room long after Solomon left, leaning over her vanity table. She was exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions that day brought.

Turning to look to the clock, she mumbled, "There's no point rushing to get home." She flopped back in the chair and stared at the ceiling, letting out a loud sigh and closing her eyes.

There was no one waiting for her at her apartment; no one to greet her as she walked through the door and asked about how her performance was. There was no rush for her to be greeted by silence and the reality of her lonely life.

Solomon's advice kept replaying in her head. _'You should take the week off and visit your family. It might help.' _

"He doesn't know how long it's been since I saw everyone." She reached over to her bag on the table. "And how we haven't kept in contact."

She shuffled through the papers and pulled out her wallet. She opened it to find the inset a picture of eight children with an attractive young woman, a distinguished gentleman, and humanoid primate posed in front of an impressive staircase. One particular face stood out. Out of the three girls, the individual appeared to be in the middle in terms of height. She had choppy bangs and long, yet wavy, chestnut hair that reached her waist. She was dressed in a red and navy blue Catholic uniform, complete with knee-high, black socks and matching colored loafers. She had her arms behind her and stood straight up, almost on the tips of her toes, hoping to appear taller than the other children surrounding her. She was beaming with joy. Violet chuckled at her younger self.

Seventeen years ago, Violet Hargreeves was a part of the Umbrella Academy.

She drifted off to a reverie of that day, still fresh in her mind as if it were yesterday. Luther, Klaus, Allison, and Vanya were on the third step as she, Diego, Five and Ben were situated on the second. Their father, Reginald stood to their right while their mother, Grace, was positioned on the left. Pogo, Reginald's primate assistant stood at Reginald's side.

_'Look alive children! This is going on the paper tomorrow morning and you must look presentable to the world' _and '_How are we going to prove to the world that you are the heroes the world is looking for if said heroes can't even listen to simple instructions'_ echoed in Violet's head as if Reginald was yelling beside her. She remembered how furious their father was that day because of their unwillingness to listen.

"Why should I even go?" She snapped out of her daydream as memories of her father's temper and continuous disappointment soured her mood. "He was a bitter old man who treated us like we were puppets in his stupid schemes." Violet clamped her wallet shut and slammed it excessively on the table. "He deserved this!"

The mirror rocked from side to side after one more throw. Violet stared deeply at her reflection, her delicate features hardening at the cruel reality of Reginald's intentions with her and her siblings. Her eyes glowed a brilliant violet hue, alternating with the natural brown eyes. She gripped on the edges of her table as small sparks emitted from her fingertips. Her attention was brought to her eyes, which had finally settled on the violet shade, glowing effortlessly.

_"The color of your eyes is pretty when you use your powers." _A musical voice echoed in her head, shattering Violet's concentration.

Violet gasped as she accidentally released a small surge of electricity throughout the room, shattering all the lightbulbs and submerging everything in darkness. Immediately. she extinguished her powers, ashamed that her renowned temper got the better of her. The sparks disappeared from her fingers and her eyes returned to their normal state. Tears welled up at the sudden realization of what she was doing and she balled up her hands into fists, bringing them up to her face to hid behind as she choked back from the sobs. If Reginald was there, she would never hear the end of it, losing control, letting your emotions rule you, wasn't something a Hargreeves did.

_"Mom, what do you think of the name 'Violet'? I think it suits her." _The memory continued to play in her head as her sobs regressed to light sniffles. She wiped her eyes and made no attempt to get up, giving herself up to the memory and its powerful hold over her.

_"I think it's befitting, especially for someone as beautiful as her. Number 8, I will call you Violet. It's perfect, just like you." _

The feelings she had long pushed to the far reaches of her mind were slowly resurfacing; feelings of longing and a faint glimmer of young, tender love. That was the day _he_ had given her her name; an identity in a family where numbers defined who and what they were. The day where she, Number 8, became Violet Hargreeves.

Ever since she could remember, Reginald had always referred to her as Number 8, never once entertaining the idea of Grace's names for her and her siblings. Violet began to think that's all she was to the family: a young girl whose number spoke for her. But, it was because of that person that Violet _finally_ had an identity.

But it was also because of him that Violet had walled up her heart, endlessly avoiding the intense feelings she'd suffered from after she'd left the Academy. Her mind was set on turning that love into hate for leaving without so much as a goodbye, any form of contact, or even confirmation of where they stood. As if _that_ night didn't mean anything to him like it did to her.

But her heart and soul pleaded otherwise.

Violet felt as if she was walking a tightrope and she was barely maintaining her balance. Giving to her endless longing or walking away from what they had, either way, leaning to one side would lead to her fall. Was there even an option of doing both. The better question was, _could_ she even go through with it?

Violet scoffed. Only he was capable of doing this to her and, as twisted as it was, she didn't mind it.

* * *

It was the next morning when Violet pulled up to the side of the Hargreeves Mansion. After driving close to eight hours from New York, she was ready to sleep, even though it was barely eight in the morning. She left roughly around midnight, after tidying her dressing room and quickly packing her essentials, with no plans for an extended stay. It was enough she was going to attend the funeral, greet Pogo and her mom, somewhat catch up with the others, and return home by nightfall. Although she was given a week off from the ballet company, Violet was hoping to spend the majority of her time indulging on the food she normally wouldn't eat during her performances. She stumbled out of the car and made her way to her trunk. Her stomach grumbled and Violet wasted no time retrieving her luggage. She was crossing her fingers that her mom would make her favorite chocolate chip pancakes or her fudge brownies. Sweets were the one thing Violet could never say no to.

As Violet slammed the trunk shut, a cold breeze blew past and she let out a yelp. She rubbed her arms for warmth, shivering as she felt goosebumps prickle on her skin. Since she had left in the middle of the night, there was no need for her to dress up. Violet was clothed in a black thermal long sleeve top under a simple black, oversized sweatshirt and a pair of sweats with penguin faces scattered all over them. Her attire provided warmth, but it never stood a chance against the Ontario weather. Today, her hair was wrapped up in a messy bun, the wind blowing her bangs. She hid her sleep-deprived eyes behind a pair of sunglasses and her face was makeup free. Violet wasn't too keen on spending another second outside and hurried down the sidewalk to the entrance.

In the decade that had past since she was last at the mansion, Violet was surprised to see that the neighborhood was relatively the same, minus the screaming children playing on the sidewalk. As she approached the front gates of the mansion, she peered at the windows overlooking the street. She remembered the times she spent looking outside, wishing she could join the other kids in playing hopscotch or the occasional friendly game of tag. Although she was just separated by glass, she felt she was worlds apart from the other children. She envied them for growing up normal, growing up without the burden of the world's safety on their shoulders.

Stopping right before the gates, Violet looked up and examined the mansion. She'd never realized the sheer size of her childhood home. The mansion encompassed an entire city block, creatively hidden behind abandoned storefronts to keep out curious onlookers. Walls were broken down inside in order to connect the buildings together, creating a home where she and the rest of her family lived away from the rest of the world. The only time they ever interacted with society was when there were missions or when their presence was requested at events.

She pushed the gates open, wincing at the whining sound of the old metal. As she approached the door, she rummaged through her bag for her key. Each of her siblings was given a personal key with their assigned number on the days they left the Academy, in case they were interested in periodical visits, as her father had put it. Violet marveled at the '8' that was intricately engraved on the brass handle before sliding it into the lock. She heard the gears turn and unlock the door.

"Welcome home," She whispered to herself, and she pushed open the double doors with trembling hands.

As Violet crossed the threshold, she was returning to a world she thought she left behind. A life she thought she would never return to. Violet closed the doors behind her, sealing herself from the world outside.

* * *

**Song Inspiration: **Phantom of the Opera Medley - Lindsey Stirling

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**Author's Note:** This story was the result of my binging the season in one night and coming up with Violet by the end of the first episode. I do not regret anything D:|

Throughout the course of the story, I will do occasional flashbacks to their childhood because they will play a pivotal role in things to come. I promise the upcoming chapters won't be as long!

Above will indicate the song inspiration for the quote and the chapter. Yes, there are hidden meanings that will tie the quote and songs to the chapter/story! Can you guess what they will be? They also serve as songs that are similar to what is played during the series.

A huge thank you to Cath for looking over this in the middle of our daily chats. You're seriously the best and words can't fathom how much I appreciate you. I always look forward to the randomness that our roleplaying will bring. Maddie, this is also for you because you're my constant inspiration and your encouragement helped me when I had doubts about certain topics. You two are freakishly awesome and I am so happy to call you my friends :)

Thanks for clicking on this story and making it here to the bottom. Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. See you guys in the next chapter!

Check out my tumblrs: atomicgracy (For fanfiction) and itsjustgracy (For anything in general). I have several Umbrella Academy and Violet Hargreeves posts up, so please come over! I'm always up for a chat too!

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_Violet Hargreeves © L.W _

_The Umbrella Academy © Gerard Way _and _Gabriel _ _Bá _

_The Umbrella Academy (TV Series) © Steve Blackman _and _Jeremy Slater _


	2. Chapter 2: Reminisce

_**Mercy Me**_

**Chapter 2:** Reminisce

* * *

_"Sometimes we can't let go of memories because they are constant reminders of a great story that we never expected to end"_

_-Unknown_

* * *

As she entered the foyer, Violet winced as the sunlight beamed through the stain glass windows at the top of the staircase, blinding her until she scurried out of its range. The interior of the house remained relatively the same. To Violet, it looked smaller compared to when she was a child, but now as a grown woman, she never realized how claustrophobic the reality of her childhood home was. She walked across the marble floor and looked up to the chandelier hanging above her, somewhat illuminating the gloomy atmosphere. Underneath it was a table with a glass vase perched on top. Violet remembered how Grace used to put in flowers from the courtyard every week to '_help brighten the room_'. She walked up to the vase and with a gentle hand, ran her fingers across the dead flowers, watching as the petals plopped unto the table's surface.

To her right was the library. A while back, the Hargreeves would partake of their meals on a long dining table that was situated in the middle of the room. As they grew older, Reginald decided to partake of his meals separate from Violet and her siblings, for some unexplained reason, and thus it was converted and doubled as a library and sitting room. The children took their meals in the kitchen a level below and Violet didn't mind the change, especially since they were free from the rules Reginald implemented during their meals.

For example, as a form of discipline, they were not allowed to dine outside of meal hours, but snacks were permitted throughout the day. The children would wait eagerly in their rooms, doors wide open, listening for the beckoning call of Grace's meal bell, signaling them that their meals were ready. They were required to file down the stairs, in an orderly fashion, sometimes leading to impromptu races between Luther and Diego, and make their way to their places at the table. Until Reginald designated them to sit, they were to wait by their chairs.

Instead of conversations, Reginald encouraged the children to listen to "atrocious vinyl", from what Violet and her siblings agreed to call them, on random subjects from the many uses of rope to the types of bait one would need to know to catch certain fish. Conversations were discouraged as it would "ruin the solemnity of a proper meal", as Reginald would put it. Violet lost track of the times she was reprimanded for whispering to her siblings about how bored she was or if they were going to eat their dessert.

Now that she thought about it, Violet hated Reginald's rules.

She could distinctly remember the seating arrangements their father dictated. At the head of the table sat Reginald. To his right seated Luther, Diego, Five and Violet herself. On his left was Allison, Klaus, and Ben. Vanya sat opposite of Reginald, at the other end of the table. As a result, Five became one of Violet's favorite siblings; there were many reasons why he was considered it, but there was one in particular that stood out above the rest. Now that Violet looked back on it, it was completely ridiculous.

Whenever Grace brought out the dessert, Violet would catch Five rolling his eyes and sighing with discontent. Sure enough, Violet would always expect a secret helping from Five, who would be too eager to shovel his portion on her plate.

'_Here you go Vi, as promised. Hope this doesn't go straight to your thighs,_' Five's hushed voice played in her head. '_Especially since you ate all of Mom's leftover brownies last night_.' Violet recalled his suppressed laugh showcasing his distinguishable dimples as he scraped over his portion of apple pie unto her plate underneath the table, away from Reginald's view.

However, the sound of a whispering threat from Violet alerted Reginald. '_Number Five? Number Eight? What about Herr Winkler's recounting of his survival at sea do you find ludicrous_?' He called out as Violet nearly jumped out of her seat. They straightened up their backs, ignored the hushed snickers from their siblings, and they resumed their meals.

"He was always a little shit," Violet laughed to herself as the memory faded away. Although she and Five had very contrasting personalities, he really was one of her favorite siblings. There was just something about him that understood her and vice versa. Like a pair of wavelengths that occasionally intersected, Five and Violet had their moments of inseparableness and remoteness.

Then, in a fit of resentment, Five disappeared. It wasn't just one of her siblings vanishing, but one of her confidants. As a result, the library soon became a source of refuge for Violet as the loneliness crept in from Five's absence.

The library held a special place in Violet's heart. There was once a piano situated in the corner, beside a huge bay window, looking out unto the streets. After Five went missing, Violet would sometimes spend her free periods, or when Reginald was away on business trips, learning how to play from the many piano books he had left lying around. Pogo once told her that neither he, Grace, nor Reginald played, so the piano was left alone as decoration. Violet vowed to learn how to master the instrument and earnestly began her practices, using it to chase away the unwanted feeling of loneliness.

As time passed, the sporadic notes turned into broken melodies which eventually turned into songs. There was a time when Vanya would often join her and play along with the violin. This attracted Grace's attention and soon she was their audience, often providing snacks, such as Violet's favorite fudge brownies. _That was before Vanya decided to turn against our family_.

Violet grimaced at the thought of her childhood. Growing up was a difficult thing to do, but more so when you were a Hargreeves. She remembered when Reginald found out about Violet's preoccupation with the piano over her training and decided to get rid of it, claiming it was old and breaking down as an excuse. Violet couldn't stop crying for days, from the comfort of her music and Five's disappearance, and this proved to be her undoing as Reginald took this as a sign of rebellion and decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Stop right there Violet," she cautiously murmured, treading into dangerous territory. She had spent a greater part of therapy and self-control to not revisit the dark portions of her childhood. "You know better than that."

To distract herself, Violet decided to check if the library remained the same. She moved just a step before someone called out to her "Ms. Violet? Is that you?" It came from the top of the stairwell. Violet turned to look up, finding a primate making his way down the steps with the use of his cane. He was dressed in a brown blazer with a white collared dress shirt underneath. He paired it up with grey dress pants and opted out of shoes. He wore half-moon glasses and his fur was greying in age.

"Pogo," she breathed out, leaving behind her bag and rushed to meet her father's assistant. "It's been too long!" She didn't bother waiting for him to reach the last step before she took him into her arms for a bear hug.

"Twelve years, five months and twenty-four days since I last saw you, physically that is," he managed to get out as Violet continued with her tight hug. She released him and he straightened out his blazer.

She cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

Pogo smiled and took both her hands in his. "I have seen your performances on the television, Ms. Violet. Might I say, you are a spectacle to behold and others pale in comparison to you."

Violet's face flushed but she didn't mind the adoration. "You're being silly Pogo. It's just me prancing around the stage in a tutu. It's nothing different from what I used to do back then." She backed away, looking sheepishly. "Would Dad watch?" She finally managed, rubbing her arms to ease the awkwardness of her asking if her own father was even remotely interested in her life outside the Academy.

Pogo was silent for several seconds. He cleared his throat to change the subject as he watched Violet's face look disheartened. "Ms. Violet, it had always been a dream of yours to perform in front of an audience. I remember when you were growing up, you and Miss Vanya would-"

The mention of her sister's name had soured the mood. "I remember," Violet interjected, wishing that Pogo had stopped a sentence earlier. She looked up at the stairwell and around the room. "Where's Mom?" Violet wanted to change the topic before there was a repeat of last night's debacle. "I thought she would be the first to greet me at the door."

Pogo gestured to the library. "She's in there." Violet moved to greet her mother, but the sound of Pogo clearing his throat stopped her. "I would recommend visiting her later. Ms. Grace has requested for some time to herself before the funeral. The master's passing has taken a great toll on her."

Violet frowned but nodded in understanding. She had missed her mother and was hoping to be greeted into her warm, welcoming arms. "If you don't mind Pogo, I'm just going to have a look around. I'll swing by and talk with Mom once I'm situated. I almost don't remember the layout of the house."

She went to pick up her bag and looked once more to Pogo. "Am I the first one here?"_ Please let it be just me. Am I even ready to face everyone again? Hell, am I ready to face him again, especially after that stupid stunt he pulled_.

Violet held her breath. Pogo eventually nodded and she let out a sigh of relief. At this point, Violet would be surprised if any of the others were to show up. _There's no way he's going to show up. He made it very clear that night that we would never see each other again. That's why he ki_-

"They will be arriving throughout the day. I have received word from Master Luther and Master Diego, along with Ms. Allison and Ms. Vanya. Master Klaus is elusive as ever, but I believe he may surprise us with his presence." He slowly made his way past Violet, stopping at the threshold. He turned around and caught her horrified expression, her eyes and her lips pressed to the thinnest. "Will you be staying for the time being? Ms. Grace and I have missed you and the others so much. The mansion is so silent and empty without you children keeping us entertained and busy." He ignored Violet's reaction, much to her relief.

Violet gave a pitying look, shaking off her earlier response. The last thing she needed was for Pogo to be involved in childish antics. "Unfortunately, I'm only in for today. I have plans of leaving tonight." _If things weren't troublesome already, there's no need for me to entertain the notion of us spending any more time together outside the funeral. __I just need to get through this and we can call it a day._ She made her way back to the stairs and ascended up the wooden steps. "It was nice seeing you again Pogo," she called out.

"And the feeling is mutual Ms. Violet. I will see you later." He entered the library leaving Violet to the ghosts of her past.

"Let's see if I remember where my room is," Violet said to herself as she reached the landing above.

To her left was a section of classical paintings and a single lounge chair, looking out of place within the splendor of the landing, as if the area was randomly inserted last minute. This was Grace's "room". Although there were forty-nine rooms in the house, some occupied, Grace was only one without a place to call her own. Violet felt a pang of remorse for her mother. Here she was, sleeping in a comfortable bed each night, Grace tucking her in and occasionally telling bedtime stories, only for her to return to a lounge chair for her only means of relaxation. Reginald was anything but father or even husband of the year.

Right before Grace's area was a section of broken down wall, revealing a corridor to a different building. It disturbed the elegant feel of the foyer, clashing the regality with its broken walls and out of place wallpaper. However, in comparison to the eerie, dark feeling of the foyer, the section was brightened with natural light, highlighting the already vibrant room, thanks to its choice of wallpaper.

Violet entered through a torn down section of the wall, finding herself in a green hallway with stairs leading up another level. One thing she didn't miss was the color scheme in several of the buildings. This one, in particular, had aged, green wallpaper with some areas peeling and water stained. The floor was a mix of squares in the same green color and a much darker shade. Violet ascended up the flight of stairs and at the top, found herself in front of a familiar sight, a room with its door wide open. Violet slowly approached it, her breath hitched and her touch lingering on the cold railing of the staircase.

Just as she had left it years ago, as she turned her back to leave the Academy, Five's bedroom remained untouched.

Ever since Five disappeared, each of the siblings had their own unique way of waiting for his return. Luther and Diego were in charge of the overall cleanliness of the room, much to Diego's annoyance from it being "pointless", cleaning after Klaus making a mess from jumping on the bed, or them stepping on the occasional sandwich made by Vanya. Allison took care of cleaning and pressing his uniforms, often working alongside Grace. Klaus and Ben would sometimes go into the room, the former laying in Five's bed or occasionally jumping on it while the latter took a seat at the foot of the bed, passing the time reading. This drove Diego insane with their lack of contribution, much to Violet's delight. As mentioned, Vanya made his favorite sandwiches, peanut butter, and marshmallow, and left his light, along with the front light, on to indicate the family was eagerly waiting for his return. Violet's, in particular, was making sure his bedroom door was wide open and acted as a lookout, in case she could catch a glimpse of him as a sign of his return. After a year of this routine, some of the siblings eventually receded from their duties. They eventually accepted that waiting for Five was a lost cause, making the tough decision to move on with their lives. Only Vanya and Violet kept to their daily tasks, despite attempts from the others to just give up.

As Violet stood outside of Five's bedroom, her thoughts drifted to a distinct time: a day after Five's disappearance.

* * *

_Seventeen years ago_

_"You do realize he isn't coming back, right?"_

_With her hand wrapped around the doorknob to Five's bedroom, Violet turned her head to find Diego standing with his arms crossed, looking as disgruntled as always. She glared at him and with a turn of a knob, opened the door to Five's room, still keeping an eye on Diego. "I don't care what you say, Diego. I'm leaving his door open so he knows he's always welcomed back," she huffed. Violet could feel the atmosphere grow tense with Diego's irritation but ignored it._

_"Stupid Luther, thinking he could order us around. I'm stuck cleaning the room with him, making sure it's "welcoming for Five's return"." If it wasn't for his attitude, Violet would've joined in and laugh at Diego's impression of their brother, but he was beginning to push her buttons with his pessimism._

_He watched as Violet waltzed in to open the blinds. She was humming a tune from Luther's vinyl collection, paying no attention to Diego. "You keep your eyebrows furrowed like that and you're going to get premature frown lines." She turned to look at Diego and gave a wink. He scowled, but deep down, Diego was barely keeping it together. Violet always had a way of rattling him with her presence._

_He rolled his eyes in disbelief, pretending to ignore her comment. "You're wasting your time. He's never coming back."_

_Violet huffed out her displeasure as she made her way back to him, stomping her feet and pointing a finger in his face. "Five will return and when he does, I hope he kicks your ass for saying that."_

_Diego pushed past Violet and slammed the door shut in retaliation, startling her with his sudden bruteness. "And I'm saying that he's gone and good riddance. It's his fault if anything happened to him, thinking he is better than any of us with that cocky, holier than thou attitude."_

_Violet pushed Diego away from her. He almost stumbled over, but luckily the door prevented him as he fell back on it. "You take that back!" Tears stung her eyes as her face began to heat from the growing frustration. Despite her optimism of Five's return, she knew deep down that Diego was probably right, but she didn't want to believe it or entertain his ego._

_Diego scoffed. "You did not just push me." He marched up to her and followed in suit, but with excessive force. Violet fell on her rear and let out a cry. "I hope it's you that disappears next. I'll be happy instead of seeing your stupid face every day."_

_"Diego!" The young boy looked up, alarmed to find Grace standing at the top of the stairs. In her hands, Grace had Five's uniform, pressed and ready to be worn. "Young boys shouldn't be pushing girls around. Now please apologize." Although she still wore a smile on her face, the tone of her voice indicated otherwise._

_Violet knew Diego was powerless against Grace. Had it been anyone else, Diego wouldn't have been frozen in his spot, like a deer in headlights. At first, he was speechless, embarrassed to be caught losing his composure by his mother, the one person Violet knew he loved more than anything else. "I-It was self-defense! Violet was the one who started it!" He stammered, pointing an accusatory finger at Violet, who still remained on the floor._

_Grace moved to help her daughter up. "Diego, you have to be gentle with others. Pushing is not the correct way to solve issues." Grace turned to Violet. "And I believe you also have some apologizing to do if what he says is true." Violet looked away, embarrassed knowing Grace was right._

_Diego glanced between Grace and Violet. Violet saw his frame trembling and reached out to him, feeling sorry for the state he was in, but stopped midway. His face was marked with confusion as his hands curled up into fists, still quivering. His face flushed, Diego pushed past them, running down the stairs in a huff._

_"Boys will be boys," Grace gently scolded, helping Violet dust herself. "I will have a talk with him later. You, young lady, have some explaining to do." Although Grace was disappointed, she still wore her gentle smile on her face. Violet knew Grace's disapproval never lasted long._

_Violet frowned. "I'm sorry Mom. Diego said that Five's disappearance was his own fault and I just lost it. I don't want to believe it, but what if Diego is right and Five never comes back?" The tears were forming again as Violet choked back the tears. "What if Five is gone forever?"_

_Grace wrapped a sympathetic arm around her daughter. "We just have to believe that whatever happened, Five will come back. We just need to be patient and wait for him."_

_Violet slowly nodded as she backed away from Grace. "I have his clothes ready to be laid out. You never know if he'll come back and need a fresh pair." She let out a giggle and Violet couldn't help but do the same. Grace always had a way of making sure a frown never stayed long on her face._

_"Let's go make some cookies. I'm sure your brothers and sister would like some as well." Violet nodded as she took her mother's hand and followed her down the stairs. "You can apologize to Diego afterward." At that very second, Violet's face froze with disgust._

* * *

Today, the bedroom remained uninhabited, just as it had been for the last seventeen years. Violet walked in and studied the nearby table. She ran a finger along the surface and brought it up to examine it. It was spotless; typical of Grace's handiwork. She backed up a little and did a once around, looking around to survey the bedroom.

The bedroom looked like it had belonged to a little boy. In reality, Five was anything but that. Out of all the siblings, Violet best described Five as someone who was born old. While the other siblings acted more of their age, Violet noticed Five had this mature air around him, often sitting in the sidelines whenever pranks were pulled. There were rare instances where Five would join in with the shenanigans, but the majority of the time, Violet was the one literally, and figuratively, pulling on his arm for him to join.

The room had a nursery vibe, with the walls decorated with the same ugly green wallpaper as the rest of the building, but the lining had depictions of little boys in various activities ranging from sports to pulling a wagon with what appeared to be a doll or a mannequin inside it. There were posters of toys that were popular with children during their time, such as the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots and Transformers. Although Five had put up a front, appearing more dependable than his siblings, Violet knew deep down, very deep down, that he was still a child at heart.

She turned to leave but her eyes fell upon a dartboard in one corner of the room. She let out a laugh at what used as target practice. "How did none of us see this before?" If anyone outside their family saw it, they wouldn't have known that it was a picture of Reginald with how the darts were positioned. Violet smirked at the apparent dislike Five had for their father as she walked out.

She turned away from Five's bedroom and continued down the hallway. He was the only one on this floor, very much valuing his privacy, even going as far as to secure his own bathroom. At the end of the hallway, there was another set of stairs, but this time, leading to the floor below. Violet descended and found herself in more much familiar settings.

Entering through another torn down section, she approached the corridor that held so many memories growing up. The corridor was aged, dust lining every corner and paint fading off every surface. The flooring was white tiles with blue flower designs. To her right was a worn-down staircase, leading up to the level above, consisting of the training rooms and some recreational rooms. To her left was a single frame window that looked out to another section of the main street, serving as a pastime for pranks ranging from water balloons raining down on unsuspecting individuals to leaving a crudely drawn face to scare a passer-by if they were to unknowingly look up.

Lights brightened the hallway, illuminating the dreariness of their living quarters. Straight down was Luther and Allison's rooms, side by side. To the left was Vanya's and Klaus'. Behind her, from the corridor she entered, was Ben and Diego's bedrooms. As Violet proceeded forward, she turned to look at the steps on her right, remembering that they lead to the kitchen right below her. Just after that, there was a section that leads to the only bathroom on the floor and another bedroom. She stopped right in front of the door.

This was her room.

She turned around and looked behind her. All the doors of their bedrooms were open, as if any second, Violet's siblings would come running out or through the hallways to enter them.

It started off muffled like cotton was lodged in her ear, but as she focused, Violet could distinguish the sounds. She could hear the distinct racket of footsteps as they pounded on the floor, the shrieks of a young girl laughing, and the voices of young boys yelling. No matter how hard Reginald tried to condition them to accept their role or how he wanted to portray them to the world, Violet and her siblings never forgot about what they were first: children.

As if she was a ghost, a younger version of herself ran past her, shrieking with laughter as she evaded her siblings in a game of tag.

* * *

_Eighteen years ago_

_"Get away from me!" screamed Violet as she ducked into her room, closing the door just a fraction of an inch, readying herself to slam it shut at any given moment. "You guys are cheating!"_

_Luther and Diego slowly approached her door. "Come here Vi," Luther snickered, his hands up, ready to trap his sister._

_As the two boys approached, Violet's door followed in suit, closing ever so slowly, her head still peaking through the gap. Diego pointed a finger at her, gawking. "Cheater! You can't do that!"_

_Violet stuck a tongue out, prompting Diego to lunge. Luther held his arm out in time to stop his brother. "Just wait it out. She's bound to leave at some point." He flashed a grin at Violet. "You can't stay in there forever Vi!"_

_It was one of the opportunities the Hargreeves had while Reginald was out for the entire day. He was called to a meeting with his company, leaving the children under the care of Grace and Pogo. It was Luther's brilliant idea to blow off some steam from training exercises with a friendly game of tag, much to everyone's dismay, who were hoping to spend their free time doing anything that didn't include physical work. However, since Luther was dubbed the leader, whatever he said, went. The objective of the game was for half of the siblings to not be 'it' at the very end. Luther, Diego, Klaus, and Vanya were on one team. Five, Violet, Allison, and Ben consisted of the other team. It took a threat from Five and his participation in order for Vanya to be included, much to the other's displeasure._

_So far, Ben and Allison were already considered 'it' and trying endlessly to find the others as Diego and Luther teamed up against Violet, trying to get the former's tag on her._

_Movement caught Violet's peripheral as Diego edged away from Luther, cutting off an easy escape to the bathroom, and she instinctively slammed her door shut, locking it. Her back was pressed up against the wooden door, catching her breath from the sudden surge of adrenaline._

_Frantic pounds startled her. "You're cheating Violet! You can't lock yourself in rooms!" Diego complained. "Don't make me get Luther to open this door!" He continued to beat outside._

_"What? No way! Dad is going to kill me if I break down another door," countered Luther. "We can wait it out. Vanya and Klaus have the others on a wild good chase, so we have all the time in the world."_

_Violet sighed at the sound of Diego scoffing at his brother's cowardice, leading to a small disagreement between the two brothers on whether or not they should break the rules along with Violet's door. "Where is Five when you need him?" she pleaded, frantically conjuring plans to sneak out of her room without drawing attention. She slid down and began to draw out them with her fingertip on the floor._

_"You called?" Violet looked up just as Five teleported into her room. He smirked and extended a helping hand. Violet eagerly tugged on him and he brought her up with ease. "You guys still playing? I gave up half an hour ago," he chuckled, wondering how dense the rest of his siblings were to continue with their antics. "It should've been obvious from the get-go that I wasn't really going to play. I only said that so Vanya could join." Five rolled his eyes at his siblings' tunnel vision. "You guys are like little sheep waiting for your shepherd in the form of Dad or Luther to herd you around like_ _its-what's the term?" He paused to think, eventually snapping his fingers like a lightbulb went off above him. "Herd mentality. That's perfect to describe you knuckleheads."_

_Violet frowned at Five's revelation. "Shut up Five. You still elected yourself to join. You like to believe you are better than us, but that's the thing. Deep down, you're just like us, competing for Dad's attention." She walked up to Five, stopping right before his face. "Like a dog begging for food from its master."_

_A smile tugged on the corner of his lips, a reaction Violet was not expecting. "That's why you're smarter than you look, Vi." Five managed as he raised an eyebrow, intrigued with his sister's boldness. "You've always been an interesting wildcard in our messed up family." He shoved his hands in his pocket and took a seat on her bed, still keeping his watchful eye on her. "So what's the plan?"_

_Violet's hands were on her hips, and she tapped her foot rapidly against the floor. "That's it? No witty comeback? No snarky response?" Five shrugged his shoulders and Violet slapped her hand on her forehead. "Nevermind that, where have you been this whole time?"_

_Five's thumb gestured to the open window behind him as her curtain fluttered against the breeze. "I was outside on your balcony and I could hear you guys screaming throughout the house. It's a surprise no one has called the police on your high pitched shrieks." Violet playfully slapped his arm as he laughed, _his infamous dimples showcasing his rare moments of letting his walls down.

_"Are you serious about helping?" Violet gave a smug smile and crossed her arms. "Last I checked, I didn't know you were a quitter. I thought you were more competitive than that, but I guess this game is too beneath you after all. If that's the case, then you should have no problem taking down Luther and Diego, if you think you're so good." Violet knew that playing against Five's conceitedness was a gamble, but she had no other choice. It was either that or face her brothers alone._

_Five was quiet, staring at the ground. His face was lost in thought as if Violet's words struck a nerve. "Just do your thing. You'll know what to do." He eventually said, giving her a wink. He got up and teleported out of her room._

_Violet took a deep breath to mentally congratulate her for egging on Five and turned around, her hand grasping on the doorknob. It was too quiet outside. "Hopefully those two didn't hear Five," Violet mumbled, unlocking her door and pulling it open._

_She peeked her head out, looking to her left and right, as she cautiously took a step outside the safety of her room. She kept her guard up as she continued on her tiptoes, eventually stopping in the middle of the hallway. Training with Reginald taught her to always keep an eye on her surroundings. If something was too perfect, he said, it usually was._

_Vanya's door whipped open and before Violet could react, Diego launched himself out and towards her, Luther following behind him._

_"Now!" cried out Five as he teleported behind his brothers, slamming the door shut to cut off one escape route._

_Violet focused on Diego. She held her arms out open and he fell right into her, unintentionally tagging her in the process. Diego's face flushed at the close contact and Violet scrambled to her feet. Luther and Diego followed, the latter positioning himself in the front, hoping for Violet to commit a tag-back._

_"You can't get to Luther without getting through me first Vi," Diego huffed out, his cheeks still burning in embarrassment. "And I know you have Five teaming up with you, so our guard will be up and stay up."_

_Violet giggled and shrugged off Diego's threat. "If you say so." In that very moment, Five teleported beside of her. His held his hand out and Violet eagerly tagged him. He shot his brothers a dangerous smirk at the sound of Violet clapping her hand against his._

_"No fair! That's cheating!" Diego shouted as he stumbled back. Luther had already bailed, leaving Diego to run after him as Five stalked towards his frightened brother._

_"You're good to go __Vi_,_ go hide somewhere else," he ordered, picking up the pace, leaving Violet alone in the hallway._

_She let out a sigh as the sounds of her brother's screaming echoed down the hallway. She walked over to the window, eyeing the bench beneath it. She passed by Klaus' bedroom when its door flew open. She felt her vision blur as she was dragged in with no time to a scream._

_"Got you," whispered a melodious voice as the door shut behind her._

* * *

"Whoa, no time for that," Violet shooed that memory away as she entered her room, dropping her luggage on the floor to survey her room.

Everything was right where she last left it.

It was a relatively sizable room, since she had no other neighbors, and it ran down the length to Allison's room. Violet was surprised her siblings never once thought of taking this specific location, but her years of enduring the frequent toilet flushes or crude singing in the shower made her realize the obvious reason. The only other perk was that it came with a balcony that overlooked the courtyard in the middle of their mansion, perfect for the warm, tranquil summer nights especially when Reginald enforced a strict curfew and Violet wanted to enjoy the relaxing evening breeze.

The cheap, striped walls were peeling with age. Colors that were once brilliant shades of burgundy and grey had faded through the years. The wooden floor groaned as Violet walked around, some areas covered with patterned rugs. At the far corner, beside the bay window and its bench, was her vanity table, painted white with lights around the mirror, similar to the one she had in her dressing room. The tabletop was littered with beauty supplies such as scented lotions, old makeup, nail polish, etc. There were pictures taped on the mirror's surface and Violet leaned in for a better look. Clippings from magazines and newspapers where they made appearances and photos of their family lined the edges. Violet let out a laugh at several of the candid photos that she had taken with Reginald's camera behind his back, surprised her father never found out.

She turned her attention to the walls of her room, littered with posters of boy bands, her past celebrity crushes and more pictures of herself and her family, but informal settings. Violet cringed at the photoshoots from the magazines, especially the ones with her posing with peace signs or dressed in horrendous clothes. She turned to the dresser that was beside her door and picked up one of the many picture frames that lined the top.

There were some intimate photos taken of her family during the rare moments where they actually felt like one. There were birthday photos that she and her siblings took when Reginald wasn't present and some solo candids of her siblings, such as Five trying to shove a camera out of his face to Allison doing her best model pose. Violet was notorious for shoving the camera in everyone's faces, but looking back, she was glad she was able to capture the simple moments, that from behind the domino masks they donned during missions, they were just normal children, gifted with special powers. The moments when they personally weren't served on a silver platter for the world to see, forced into a life where they were lead to believe that could end at any moment. A life where every action was scrutinized by either the rest society or their father.

She made her way to her old bed in the same corner of the room and plopped right on the covers.

"I forgot how soft this was!" She shouted into the bed, muffling her words.

Violet was quiet for a while, taking in all the memories that her childhood was bombarding her with as she continued to lay on her bed. Returning to the house was a double-edged sword; while it did stir up some bitter memories of her time as a makeshift superhero, puppeteered by the strings her father controlled, it also made her reminisce about the parts of her childhood which made living in the mansion bearable.

It wasn't her life as a superhero, or the fame and recognition that it brought that made her happy. In fact, it was the simple things that chased the gloomy days away, in the form of her siblings. Although there was no blood relation, unlike most families that Violet was accustomed to seeing, they were just as good as any. They just had a weird way of showing it.

Violet flipped over and laid on her back, staring at her ceiling. _Maybe Solomon was right after all_.

The only problem was, there were some memories, or rather _some_ individuals, she wasn't ready to face.

* * *

Violet had long finished with her bath but made no attempt to exit out of the lukewarm tub. Two hours after arriving home, Violet had spent half her time soaking up her favorite strawberry scented bath bombs. She let out a groan of relief as she reclined her head and submerged her body further into the water until the surface graced her chin. The soothing bath was exactly Violet had needed after the hectic week of performances. For once, she was able to sit back and relax.

The sounds of the droplets from the faucet lulled her into reverie. In it, the moonlight shone through the window, illuminating her exposed body. Her breath hitched as she opened her lips, a slight whimper escaping. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as her fingers were running through his soft locks. She looked up into a familiar face, softened by the dim light. His eyes were closed tightly and his jaw clenched in concentration. He suddenly opened his eyes, staring deep into hers.

"What are you thinking about?" he breathes out.

Violet jerked, splashing water out of the tub. With a handful of water, she wiped her face to wake up and ran her hand through her soaked hair. Disoriented, she was breathing heavily.

"I haven't dreamt of that in a while. Why only now?" She brought her hands to her cheeks, feeling a slight warmth tingling against her palms.

Violet knew better than to linger in cooling water, given the current weather circumstances. "Better get out before I catch a cold." She grabbed her towels from the rack and stood up, shivering as the cold air greeted her as the water droplets slid down her form. She wrapped herself in a towel and rolled her hair up in another as she sauntered over to the mirror.

She examined her natural face and groaned as she tugged down on her eye bags. _I need more vacations before I end up looking like the Crypt Keeper before my mid 30's_. She grabbed her matching black, lacy bra and panty set from the rack and rushed to put them on, rewrapping the towel around her body afterward for additional warmth.

"Crap, I forgot my clothes again," she grumbled, looking briefly around the bathroom.

She opened the door, hissing from the rush of cold air and dashed to her room. She paused in front of her door, eventually leaning back to pee around the corner. A devilish idea was forming in her head, with a smile to match, as her eyes were fixed on a certain room at the end of the hall. It was one of her past times that she was notorious for, enough for that particular sibling to find any means necessary to keep her out of their room. However, what they learned was that one of Violet's strong points was her persistence, on par with her stubbornness.

"Luther isn't here to scold me for using his vinyl player." A playful smile tugged on each corner of Violet's lips as she made her way down the hallway and into his room, still wrapped in her towels. "Maybe one little song wouldn't hurt. What's the worst that could happen?"

Luther's room was decorated in the stereotypical little boys' fashion. There were models of airplanes and spaceships, toys and posters, littered throughout the baby-blue wallpapered room. Violet recalled once or twice accidentally breaking some and blaming on her siblings. Luther was notorious for playing his music louder than usual whenever Reginald was out for his business meetings and the siblings would gather and dance around, for once acting their age instead of the personas their father had expected of them.

"Where is it," she muttered as she bent down to scan through Luther's vast collection of vinyl. As they grew older, Violet remembered Luther's face whenever he received another to add to his growing collection. For their birthday every year, ever since they became teenagers, Luther would ask for nothing else but another record. She snorted at the image of Luther's face when he came across vinyl unalphabetized after she was done listening to them. Luther was always a stickler for the rules, especially when it came to his prized possessions.

The record she was looking for was one of her personal favorites. Because of its catchy beat, Violet would continually play it to the point Luther tried hiding it, sometimes in the high shelves or in the back of his closet, but Violet always knew where to find it. This was her go-to song, the one that would typically get her siblings to join along in either singing or dancing, even after a quarrel or a misunderstanding.

Violet flipped through the covers until a familiar title caught her attention. She pulled it out and read it to herself, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Here it is!"

* * *

The sound of the entrance door opening and slamming shut startled Pogo from his reading. "Who is it?" He called out as he got up beside Grace, who attention was on the fireplace, lost in thought. "I shall welcome our guest," he mentioned before heading to the doorway, the sounds of his cane clanging against the marble floor. "I will return momentarily."

Pogo emerged out of the library to find a figure dropping their bag by their feet, whistling at the underwhelming sight of the foyer.

The figure locked eyes with Pogo and his pressed lips cracked a smile. "Hey Pogo," said a towering figure as he embraced the approaching primate. "It's been a while. Glad to see you're still waddling around."

Before Pogo could return the greeting, the opening drum beats of Toni Basil's 'Hey Mickey' echoed through the hallways of the Hargreeves Mansion. The individual looked around for the source of the sound as Pogo let out a chuckle. "Is that-"

"It is probably coming from Master Luther's room," Pogo interrupted as the man let out a hearty laugh, "she could never stay away from it, no matter how many times the young master would tell her to stop." Pogo could sense a tinge of nervousness behind the laugh, unusually forcible than their usual carefree one, but decide against asking. In all his years of caring for the children, Pogo knew when it was his place to step in. He peered up, smiling. "It brings great joy to hear music playing in this lonely place."

_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
__You're so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey,  
__Hey Mickey_

"So she's the first one back," the individual asked, earning an agreeing laugh from Pogo, as he picked up his bag and hustled his way up the stairs. "I'll be back Pogo."

Pogo turned back to the library, swearing he saw a faint glimmer of a smile on their face.

* * *

_Hey Mickey!  
__You've been around all night and that's a little long  
__You think you've got the right but you've got it wrong  
__Why can't you say goodnight so you can take me home, Mickey_

Still dressed in her undergarments, Violet began bobbing her head along to the beat. As the song continued, she slowly proceeded to dance in place, shifting herself from the left to the right, as her arms rubbed against her sides. For the longest time, Violet was accustomed to following a set routine for performances. Even during her off-season, she could never find the time to wind down due to her preparation for the next month-long run of performances. Since she had been given the week off, Violet could finally dance without obligations, just how she used to when she was younger.

She whipped her head enough to unravel her hair from the towel. The wet hair was plastered on her face as she continued to dance around Luther's room, clutching the towel around her body. She was moving around the room, still bobbing her head on time with the beat, singing along every so often. Feeling the song wasn't loud enough, she shimmied her way over to the vinyl player and increased the volume. Pogo and Grace were the only ones in the mansion, but they were downstairs in the other building. Violet assumed they wouldn't mind it if it was a couple of notches louder than what she used to play.

_Oh Mickey, what a pity you don't understand  
__You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand_

Violet felt her towel slipping, but made no move to hold it up. In fact, she was the only other person in the house and no one was around to catch her acting unladylike. _If Allison was here, she would be having an aneurysm if she caught me dancing around in my undies._

She didn't have to answer to anyone or even follow the rules, a rare opportunity in her life. She conceded defeat and allowed the towel to drop to the floor, but at that very second, a voice she hadn't heard in almost a decade called out to her.

"Vi?"

Violet froze and as the music continued on, she slowly turned around to look and her eyes widen in horror at the figure leaning against the door frame, their arms crossed as if they were enjoying the private show. She made a move to grab the towel off the floor, immediately wrapping it around her body. She clamped her eyes shut and let out a scream.

* * *

**Song List:** Hey Mickey - Toni Basil (When Violet plays it)  
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse (Tag Scene)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh ho ho...I wonder who it is ;)

I am completely astounded. The response in the first chapter alone was so overwhelming. 12 reviews, 100 favorites, and 153 follows? You guys are insane (in a good way!) and I love every single one of you. Even if it's just a read, you are all freaking awesome for your patience and support. I appreciate everything.

Just a slight warning, I WILL up the rating to **Mature** due to language, sexual content and adult themes once Chapter 3 is published. The only way you can find this story is if you search includes **Mature** stories (under **all** ratings or **Mature** in general).

Speaking of adult matters, will the readers be interested in reading in sex scenes or it being implied. I'm asking because...of future chapters ;D Please let me know because I would love to feedback.

Thanks for clicking on this story and making it here to the bottom. Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!

Check out my tumblrs: atomicgracy (For fanfiction) and itsjustgracy (For anything in general). Please come over! I'm always up for a chat!

* * *

**Thank you to my reviewers:**

JuggernautJJ, Maddie Rose (what would I do without you), lilhobbit, magnificentkatt, affyfrances, dizzzybeee, lizlil, musicluver246, Lone-Wolf-Ranger, Fillory Tales, Abbeyrawr1999, and Guest.

* * *

_Violet Hargreeves _ © _L.W. _

_The Umbrella Academy _© _Gerard Way _and _Gabriel Bá _

_The Umbrella Academy (TV Series) _© _Steve Blackman_ and _Jeremy Slater_


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